“Let's not leave yet,” Purnell joked near the end of his 40-minute session.Purnell could be right to linger on 2010, despite three straight losses — including first-round defeats in the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA tournaments. When the Tigers reconvene next season, it'll be without Trevor Booker, the team's do-everything star the past few years.Booker, a former Union standout, was an all-ACC first-team performer who led the Tigers (21-11) with 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds a game this year.“Losing a great player in, uh ... Trevor. See, I've already forgotten his name,” Purnell said with a smile.Top players leaving are “what happens in good programs,” he continued. “But when you've got three or four starters back, you're very optimistic how good you can be.” Booker and senior David Potter left with a school record 93 wins the past four seasons. It was also Clemson's fourth consecutive season of 20 or more wins, also a program first.More important than that, Purnell said, was the sold-out atmosphere at Littlejohn Coliseum that had fans grumbling about the team's late slide instead of heading to spring football practice.“That means people are interested” in basketball, Purnell said.It doesn't mean Purnell's happy about the Tigers postseason troubles. Besides losing first-round NCAA games the past three years, Clemson has gone one-and-done the past two trips to the ACC tournament.Purnell is 0-6 all-time in NCAA play at three schools.Those failings, at least so far, haven't deterred Tiger fans and recruits from Purnell's program.“We want to be a team that advances, and that kind of thing,” he said. “The great thing about our sport is if we can do that next year, that's what people remember.” Should the Tigers reach their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament — something the school's never accomplished — it will be a different looking team that does it.They'll still be a Booker, although it will be Trevor's less polished, still developing little brother in Devin, a former Union County standout.Purnell will also need big contributions from the rest of his highly regarded freshman class, particularly forwards Milton Jennings and Noel Johnson.All three played at least 11 minutes a game and Purnell says it's critical they take major steps forward this summer.“They've got a long way to go in terms of becoming outstanding players in our league,” the coach said. “But I think they're going to do that.” Right now, Clemson's only incoming freshman is 6-foot-8 forward Marcus Thornton of Atlanta. Purnell expects him to easily fit into next year's rotation.The strength of the Tigers will likely be in the backcourt next fall. Junior point guard Demontez Stitt averaged 11 points and led Clemson with 94 assists. Joining him should be his one-time backup in sophomore Andre Young, who Purnell thought was perhaps Clemson's most improved player this year.Young topped the team with 54 steals and 60 3-pointers, giving the Tigers a reliable outside threat after Terrence Oglesby — 2009's top outside threat — decided to leave for a pro career overseas after his sophomore season.Jerai Grant figures to have a more dominant role in the middle next season. Besides being the nephew of former Clemson star Horace Grant and son of Oklahoma standout Harvey, Grant brings an intensity under the basket the Tigers must have to compete in the ACC.He led Clemson's starters by hitting 63.2 percent of his shots and had 54 blocks to outdistance his teammate, Trevor Booker.Purnell says Grant and the Tigers must improve their rebounding. Clemson was eighth in ACC rebounding this season and was outrebounded in three of its final four games.Another aspect Purnell says needs work before next November is taking care of the basketball. Only three ACC teams had more turnovers than Clemson's 480, which Purnell says cost them opportunities in several close games this season.“We've got a lot of guys back from teams that won a lot of games,” Purnell said. “We've got a lot to look forward to.”

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